Memory Cross Not the Stuffy Tracts of the Past

Lets face it: most tracts that people hand out are not even read. That may now change.

Two North Carolina pastors have found a new way to share the Christian faith with kids. Unlike the stuffy tracts of the past, these fun cards will delight kids of all ages.

Memory Cross is a four panel interactive card that is designed origami style. They unfold to reveal selected bible verses. They are targeted for children ages 4-13 and use colorful graphics to attract the attention of both children and adults.

The creator, Pastor Andy Lambert, originally intended them to be used in childrens sermons to tell bible stories. He was searching for a tool that would help capture the attention of the children and help them to memorize verses. Because he couldnt locate anything that met this need, he teamed up with another pastor and the owner of a printing business to create what are now known as Memory Cross cards.

Despite the original intention, there is yet another use. Because kids love the way the card flips around, they play with them until they have memorized Gods word. That makes it a great evangelism tool. Even timid kids will love to pass them out to their friends.

So now we have three choices. As Christians, we can do nothing; we can keep passing out tracts that people will never read; or we can find products like Memory Cross that introduce Christ to people in a fun new way.

Sheryl Frey is a Christian dedicated to helping others find great Christian products like Memory Cross to share their faith. She also organizes the Memory Cross Kids challenge. For more information please see http://www.memorycrosskidschallenge.com

How to Overcome Fear and Procrastination

If we listen to world news today, they give us every reason to be fearful. If we give in it seems that something dark lurks around every corner of our mind. The challenge with fear, either real or imagined is that it can hold you back from doing well in life.

When one lives with constant fear you may also be prone to procrastination because they are two sides of the same coin. In fear you cannot move forward which makes you hesitate or procrastinate on a lot of issues, especially if one believes nothing he does is good enough. Instant fear is designed to quickly move people out of dangerous situations, but prolonged or constant fear is not the natural state of the body.

Take Susan as an example. She is someone who really wanted to be a nutritionist but because she was always heavy she thought she couldn't do it. Many people told her she should take classes at the community college but she was too afraid to even call them for fear of rejection. Susan had already negatively assumed the outcome of her efforts in her mind.

When you are in the midst of feeling afraid of anything take a step back and really look at the situation. Are you in danger of some kind? Is it moving you out of your comfort zone? Are you afraid of succeeding? Are you afraid that if you make that move your life will change way too much?

If so, close your eyes and ask yourself, "What would I do if I weren't afraid?" As you calmly wait for your answer(s) without judgment you will find that fear is a complex illusion. It is an elaborate scheme by your ego to stop you from moving ahead. The dominant ego keeps you from experiencing your life in a way that will make you happy. Fear is based on events from the past that make us wary of making certain moves, old rhythms or patterns often set long ago by life experiences.

How can you release the fear and help heal procrastination? First of all by acknowledging it and then taking an action step forward. The problem lies in basing your present on the past or the future. One simply should not accept that what happened in the past will be some variation of what happens now. This vicious cycle can keep one trapped in negativity. The more closely related to the now you can be, by breaking your fearful goal into tiny manageable steps or a smaller to do list, the easier it will be to release the fear.

Going back to our example, if Susan had just called the community college it would have been a step towards her goal. She could have talked to a counselor and then perhaps have signed up for one class at a time, opening the door to new possibilities. Susan can always leave herself open to changing her mind as she moves along, helping to get past her fears.

Life can be wondrous when you release fear and side step procrastination. Now is the time to move out of your fear and take the first step. You never know what will happen to make your life become bigger than you ever imagined. I always like to keep in mind the old adage "Fear is just, False Expectations Appearing Real."

Become part of something that is sweeping the world with inspiration. You will find a wealth of spectacular material including free affirmations, beneficial worksheets and other useful tools to download at http://motivatingmessages.ning.com.

Priscilla Parham coaches on awareness and goal setting for your health, your business and your relationships, motivating others to rebuild from the inside-out.

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Weight Loss Motivation - The 7 Pillars of Self-Belief

It is not hard to understand why so many of us find it hard to believe that we are special, unique and very much loved. In a culture where there are little or no positive affirmations for people with weight and size issues it can be hard to muster the self-belief we need to lose weight permanently.

In fact, our whole lives may have revolved around the absorption of messages that we are 'Not Good Enough', so much so that self-belief can be completely smothered. These are the messages that destroy the motivation of self-belief - you are not 'good enough' if...

You are over a certain weight or size;

Not on a diet and losing weight;

You regularly eat food consider a 'sin' or 'bad'

The great thing is that we can turn this around and see our motivation for permanent weight loss soar, though the development of our own motivational self-belief. All it takes is an understanding and actions to live by the 7 Pillars of Self-Belief...

1. Stop believing that you're 'Not Good Enough'. The fact is you generate and hold on to your own negative beliefs, so the great news is you can also turn them around!

2. Accept 'What is' i.e., "I am overweight" and add a codicil "And I am gradually discovering the weight I was born to be" The more you fight 'What is' the more your stress rises and your comfort eating increases.

3. Start identifying your negative beliefs and replace them with positive ones i.e., "I am fat and ugly" can be replaced with "I am a wonderful and lovable person." You don't have to fully believe it at first. Just keep telling yourself the positive.

4. Start noticing the positive messages that come your way that tell you how good other people think you are. Start believing them!

5. Look into your eyes, in a mirror, at least once a day and tell yourself how beautiful you are. Even if you don't believe it to begin with, you will see the truth in it eventually.

6. Visualise yourself as a slim trim you. Make it picture clear in your mind and focus on it several times a day.

7. Tell yourself, on waking and before you go to sleep, just how wonderful you are and how much you are loved by yourself and others. Believe that you deserve all this love and more. Feel its glow and the happiness it makes you feel inside.

The more you work on your self-belief, through loving thoughts and actions, the more your motivation rises. By taking the focus off food and onto self- love, the remarkable happens - you stop your struggle with food and fear and begin a love affair with yourself and life.

Chrissie Webber is a published author and weight management motivation coach. Through her online company http://www.lifeshapers.co.uk/ she offers support, motivation and re-parenting to the 95% - 97% of dieters who are still struggling to find the weight they were born to be. Her web site and blog http://www.chrissiewebber.co.uk/ offer motivation 'Keys' that help children, parents and adults discover a life without guilt, shame and self-loathing. To learn/relearn the skills of 'Conscious Eating' and how to live in harmony with food and nature become an online member today: http://www.lifeshapers.co.uk/

Happiness For a Better Life

Have you ever felt to be in bad mood when you get up in the morning? Do you need too much time to get running and functioning at high speed? Do you need many coffee breaks? Off course, sometimes everybody has a hang through phase, be it after a lot of work, long time school or study, boring work or what ever.

I have thought a bit about how to improve the small things of life to the positive and how to get up with a great smile every morning. Actually I just reflected what I am doing for years and which helped me through many difficult situations. Funny enough, to get up positively in the morning has its roots in the evening before and how you go to bed. That's what I do:

After our work day, Eliane and I sit down for a short while just talking to each other about the nice and frustrating things we encountered over the working day. Then, while she prepares a small meal, I help her with some jobs to be done in the household, going to the cellar for milk or what else is needed. After the meal, often together with our adult children, we do no more speak about business but about our dreams, holidays, the book we a re reading, etc. Now it comes: we go to bed with an absolutely positive feeling and mind.

The alarm clock rings! There it is very important to get up slowly and with a first and positive thought. This is easy since I already slept with a positive mind, so I just restart where I left. Be not hectic, enjoy the shower, look out of the window, see the birds, the sunshine, and enjoy your life. Go on to have joy the whole day!

My conclusion and recommendation:

- Chose to be happy, be grateful
- Avoid bad news and stress
- Manage your time well, do not waste it, it's just too precious
- Laugh heartily, this is medicine
- Express your feelings and passions
- Work hard but not to exhaustion
- Enjoy your achievements and accomplishments
- Learn something new everyday, broaden your horizon
- Exercise your mind, soul and body, feel alive, eliminate depression
- Find Inspiration and success, be enthusiastic
- Take some minutes for meditation and religion

Following these simple but powerful small steps every day will increase your health (mind and body) dramatically. If you learn to avoid negative exposures, enjoy what you feel and what is around you, you are set for a long and prosperous life. Start reading motivational books.

Martin Bigler is an experienced Copywriter and offers Resources, Tools and Educational Content to help interested People build their Internet Business successfully and with motivation. His Educational Martin Bigler Newsletter offers profound step by step guidance on various Marketing and Sales Tasks. A big selection of Free Reports, Downloads and useful Links are available at MartinBigler.com and the MartinBiglerBlog. Copyright by Martin Bigler.

Five Ways to Stay Motivated and Achieve Your Goals

Are you having one of those days when nothing seems to go right? Is every task you try to do harder than you thought it would be, and do you seem to encounter problem after problem along the way? We all have stressful times during our lives when everything seems to be going wrong, but it's crucial to stay positive as giving in will usually make the situation worse. Here are five ways to stay motivated and achieve your dreams:

1. Think less and act more

Stop putting off that difficult job because you're worried it will be too much for you, or you won't be able to do it. The more you worry about something you have to do, the less you will want to do it, so just making yourself get started is one of the best ways to stay motivated. You may have all sorts of excuses for mot doing something, but once you make a start you'll feel so much more motivated to continue.

2. Plan your time and stick to the plan

Having a large task ahead of you, or a big project to complete, can be very daunting, and without a clear view of how much you have to do and when you are going to do it, it can be easy to get sidetracked and put things off until the last minute.

If you have a large project at work, set aside two hours at the same time each day to work on that particular job. Be clear about which tasks you want to complete during that two hours. If you are trying to get fit or lose weight, decide on two evenings a week when you are going to do an exercise class, or go to the gym, and stick to that.

3. Set yourself targets and treat yourself when you reach them

One of the easiest ways to stay motivated is to set yourself achievable targets. If you are setting up your own business, saying that you want to be earning $40k in five years time is a far away target. Break that five years down into periods of six months and decide how much you aim to be earning in each six month period, building up to the five years.

When you reach your targets, you will feel a great sense of achievement, and if you don't quite make it you can evaluate where you could improve to make sure you are on track for the next six months.

4. Mix things up a little

Boredom with the same routine can easily cause us to become unmotivated, so if you are feeling that you need a change then make one. If you are tired of going to the gym, start running in the park instead. If you always work in your home office, try relocating to the deck for a few hours. Even small changes in your routine can be great ways to stay motivated.

5. Make time to relax and avoid burnout

Many people go head on into a project or business venture, and give it all their time and energy, only to collapse with exhaustion after six months and give it all up. One of the most important ways to stay motivated is to take time out to rest and enjoy yourself. Step back and appreciate what you have achieved, make time for a hobby, and spend a few hours with friends and family.

Perhaps some days you have planned to work, but you wake up feeling totally unmotivated. Don't take a whole day off as this will set a precedent, but it's ok to reduce the amount of work you do. Maybe decide just to work until lunchtime and take the afternoon off, but make sure you accomplish something tangible in the morning that you can be proud of to keep you motivated.

Wondering how do you change yourself? Join us now! Improve your self confidence and learn ways to love yourself. Sign up for your free course now at Rediscovery Women.

How to Motivate Yourself With Real Results

One of the hardest things for almost anyone to do is to keep their level of motivation at a peak level so that they achieve the results that they are looking for. Their is no question that being in a peak state of motivation is key to achieving whatever it is that you want. When you are inspired enough to keep going even when there are obstacles in the way, you are that much closer to getting the results that you desire.

So, what is the trick that can help you to keep yourself going even when it seems like the odds may be against you?

Passion is a key element. You have to be passionate about the results you are after. If you are not passionate enough, it will be easy to give up at the first signs of adversity. Setting goals that you can be passionate about is something that you must do in order to guarantee you stay motivated and stay in line with what you want to achieve.

Believing that you can and will get what you want is also necessary. When you have a strong belief in yourself and your ability to break through any barriers and climb over any obstacles, you are going to be able to keep yourself inspired to keep moving forward towards achieving what you want.

Believe with passion that you can and will achieve anything that you want to and that you can do this. This will help you to stay motivated so that you will keep moving forward in your life.

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Bryan Appleton is an investor/entrepreneur who has dedicated himself to teaching others how to achieve their dream life. He is also a proud single father with one son.

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How to Counteract Violence, Anger and Hatred

Counteract Violence with Knowledge... The saying "it's the quiet ones you want to watch" is very accurate, the people who don't instantly recoil to the violence but stop to weigh their options. Profile the aggressor, find the cause of the violence, then react in a cool calculated way by finding collaborative and empowering alternatives. If the reaction comes from keen acuity and not a chemical imbalance the outcome will be far more efficacious. "An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind"- "Mahatma Gandhi" Wise words from an even wiser man that teaches us one thing. There is no point in fighting fire with fire. Remedies like listening, deducing and giving time to get to the root of violent behaviour is what we need to dissipate it.

Counteract Anger with Understanding... Anger is a significant state of disapprobation and reasoning power is significantly hampered. Often anger can be diffused significantly when given a passive audience or serene location. Communication skills are essential in anger management but it is important not to lose control of your emotions. You do not have to agree with the position to respect the human behind it.

Counteract Hate with Righteousness... Hatred is more difficult, simply because it is not a rational feeling and is not subject to reason. Isolation from the hate mongers, education and psychotherapy should work. Every individual is human (with good traits and not so good traits) applying this ideology inhibits the reciprocation of this hate.

These may be difficult to counteract, especially since they are strong emotions, but with practice and dedication, they can be achieved!

Sashakay Fairclough is a 20 year old final year law student at the University of Huddersfield in England.